The present disclosure relates to exemplary test methods and corresponding test apparatuses for checking the function of a painting device.
Modern painting installations for series-painting of motor vehicle body parts have an increasing complexity, since the painting installations include a plurality of components which are at least partially user-specific or application-specific that are combined with each other. Further, a better tuning of the installation components on each other is necessary due to the higher utilization and the higher dynamic of the painting installations.
Thus, so-called air atomizers or high-speed rotary atomizers, for example, were used as application apparatus which are optionally operated with or without electrostatic coating agent charge. Furthermore, the painting installations can be operated optionally with a wide variety of coating types, including one component paints (“1K paint”), two component paints (“2K paint”), more component paints (“XK paint”) or powder paint. Further, a coating agent mixer can be optionally arranged externally or can be integrated within the atomizer. Although with respect to the flushing of the painting installation there are several options, for example the so-called 1-circle-flushing, the so-called 2-circle-flushing as well as the use of the known pick technology (“reflow” and “push-out”). Moreover, the dosing of the coating agent can be carried out via dosing pumps or via dosing cylinders and the electrostatic charging of the coating agent can be carried out optionally via direct charging, via external charging or in the case of powder paint through friction charging.
Modern painting installations thus have a plurality of specialized components which can be respectively designed in different variants and combinations that have to function with each other.
Thus, it is typical to perform two function checks for securing a correct function with regard to the painting installations, wherein the first function check is carried out after mounting or before commissioning, whereas the second function check is carried out during commissioning at the customer.
However, function checks are carried out manually which has several drawbacks that are shortly described below.
On the one hand, the manual function check requires a relatively long test period and as a rule at least two workers.
A further drawback of the manual function check can be seen in the person-dependent quality of the function check, since for example careless or unqualified workers may overlook function failures of the painting installation.
Further, a documentation of the manual function check is difficult due to the number of variables involved, which can result in legal proof problems with regard to complaints or warranty claims of customers.
A particularly important drawback of the manual function checks are the high costs for the function check and the possible high subsequent failure costs that can occur due to unrecognized failures.
Finally, manual function checks are time consuming, and therefore the function checks are typically used minimally in order to reduce overall labor costs during assembly, commissioning, or use in production, when for example a redesign of the painting installation had to be carried out during a time limited production stop (for example at the weekend).
DE 101 08 010 A1 discloses a checking pin that can be electrically connected to a painting device to check, for example, the voltage supply of the painting device. However, this known checking pin enables only a passive check of the painting device and is also restricted on electrical process parameters of the painting device such that no comprehensive function check is possible.
Further, EP 0 846 498 A1, DE 103 07 719 A1, DE 201 22 250 U1, DE 101 08 010 A1, GB 2 321 206 A, DE 297 24 794 U1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,423 B1, DE 601 04 666 T2, EP 166 092 A1, EP 350 605 A2, WO 2005/110613 A1 disclose monitoring systems for painting devices which enable only a monitoring of the painting device in the normal operation and are thus dependent on the normal electrical and respectively fluidic control. These are thus no generic test apparatuses or test methods.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved function check of painting installations.